Monday, October 09, 2006

Sparky Lyle

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During the festivities of Fan Appreciation Day 1972 (?) ...Sparky Lyle won the egg tossing contest and I believe he finished second in the blindfolded wheelbarrel race out to the monuments in centerfield!

At Old Timers Day in the late 1980s or mid 1990s, Sparky threw a pitch from behind and up over his back that was called a strike.

He threw it by using his usual motion but not releasing the ball. Instead he followed through, ball still in hand, and released it as his arm followed through from underneath and behind his right armpit. It was a blooper pitch that landed in the zone and totally befuddled whoever was at the dish.

His 1977 is pretty overrated, horrible Cy Young choice, he was 4.5 runs below average on inherited runners, only leveraged 1.30. Nice year, but Tug McGraw was just as valuable that year, Rollie Fingers a lot more valuable, Jim Kern was almost as good, Sutter was a ton more valuable, Gossage had the second best relief season I've found so far, Ron Reed was better, Gary Lavelle a lot better, Gene Garber nearly as good, Bill Campbell a lot better too.

1977 was a heckuva year for relief aces, and Lyle was nothing special at all. 1972 was his best season, pretty handily.